tidbit

This morning I got up with Ron and saw him off to work. We won't see each other a lot tonight because we're both busy, so why not play Sorry at 5:15 in the morning while he's eating breakfast?

Also, we discovered a leak in our "great room" (the entryway, that's what we call it :) yesterday, and assume we've never had it leak before because it hasn't rained that hard for several straight days. Cleaned it up, it had stopped raining, this morning it's back. Ron calls me on the way to work (just to tell me he loves me and had a great weekend with me, isn't he the best!?) and I inform him that I put a pot underneath the leak.

"Awww... Just like those people that live in really old houses!" 

"Um... yup, that's us, Ron."

:) 

a rainy saturday, finally!

Well, even Grandma is getting on to me now, I must write something! She said it's ok if I whine, she just wants to read something from me. Hopefully that doesn't mean I whine all the time :) but thank you for the liberty, as it is likely the case here and there. 

Today Ron and I spent a pleasant rainy morning as follows... slept in, then took a trip to Ron's work site. He had to check something important, and I took his word for it, donned a poncho and joined him trudging in the rain through the partially completed power plant. It has grown a lot since I was last there, and it was fun to look up through the structure to see the tower cranes resting on top of the entire building. Ron explained to me what he was doing, and how some things worked (dumbed down the process a bit without making me feel dumb, he's so good at that :) and set off for Mart. Mart is a little bitty town that we first drove through when coming to Texas and made us very sad! Off the main drag, almost every other house is abandoned, and I wish someone would help their roads out. But today we saw a different side. We stopped at the Cozy Cafe for lunch and met Jess, the friendly waitress. Then we went to a couple of antique/not so antique shops. You know how those places are. Some items that are actually old and interesting, plus everything in between. I was fortunate enough to find some old silver spoons that were very cheap, and that was my good deal of the day. I still have to look up the best way to clean them. So we liked Mart today. It's one of those little towns that we like to seek out in order to go to their shops and maybe find some interesting people. The towns that get overlooked, blink-you're-through-it types. 

Now we're off shortly to the gym, and then HEB to do some grocery shopping. Ron and I are very excited about shopping there today because just recently we discovered quite by accident that they have a policy called "fresh or free". If we find an item that's expired, we take it plus a new item to the check out, and they give us the new fresh item for free! It's already worked for us once, so there's no stopping the Goodmans now. Let me tell you, nothing tastes better than free cottage cheese... And even though it's one of their open policies, not a lot of people know about it, it's not advertised even on their website, and you feel a little silly riffling through items to check their dates :) But it's so fun when you have a good find! It's about as close to james bond as Ron and I will ever get, we try to be discreet :)

So glad for the rain, too, and the cooler weather!! I'm soaking it up, This is the first week all summer that we saw high temps in the 80s. Only a couple weeks ago we were happy to get high temps in the 90s! I better not hear any whining from the north about how cold it is :) Of course, I suppose I should check myself now that I have relatives in Kuwait... Guess it's not so bad here :)

growing

So much is changing and happening. Ron and I are very excited about our new little baby growing inside of me. We continue to pray for strength and health for our little guy. That's what Ron calls the baby. I'm not sure yet if we're going to decide to learn what sex the baby is. A lot of our friends have been telling us to, so that you can plan better. It's true, I thought, that after I have the baby I'm not going to want to run out and get organized. I'd rather have everything ready. But I could have a lot of stuff ready anyway, and no matter if it's a boy or a girl, it's getting the blue curtains we already own. 

God has been working in me, calming some fears. I'm still very early in my pregnancy, almost 8 weeks. I feel like I am just supposed to trust and believe for a healthy pregnancy and baby. It's easy for me to believe that God can make that happen. I believe He put this life in me for a reason. But sometimes it hurts so much when I think of several moms, some very close to me, who have lost their babies very recently. I hurt for them, and I don't like not understanding why things happen. Even now it has brought me to tears. Of hurt. anger, almost. So while I am believing for the best for my baby, I have to learn to lay aside my supposed right to understand everything. God knows. I know He gives life, and while I don't know why He lets it be taken away sometimes, He knows. His thoughts are above my thoughts. He has asked me to trust Him, and at the same time, to believe for good things. 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." 

Hebrews 11:1-2

Oh, that God would help me to increase my faith in Him. How He loves me, and I have seen that time and again. I have felt Him, and when I have not felt Him, I have known that He still cares and watches over me. Me and baby both.

So that's why I've been feeling bloated and cried through Hannah Montana...

I'm pregnant! Ron and I are very excited about this, and really looking forward to the adventure that awaits us. We're also glad for this eight or nine months that we've got for transition. We've been wanting (recently) to have kids, so now that it's official it's both exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. No turning back now! We're going to have a great time of it. My first appointment is on August 19th. With a woman doctor that came highly recommended from a couple friends, including one who used to be an OBGYN nurse and says out of all of Waco, this one's the doctor to have. yay :) After hearing some of my own mother's stories, I didn't want to wade through any calloused doctors that don't bother empathizing or discussing options but would rather pump some more medication into me and get me out the door. So, I'll keep you posted, but it looks good. 

We are so thankful to God for this baby and are believing for a healthy pregnancy, baby and me. Ron is already beaming, and we feel great about this :)

Facebook friends that may be reading, please don't post this there yet :) I haven't told my coworkers yet (who may check their facebook) or my boss because I'm waiting to see if a possible design position opens up for me that I've been looking at. God has given me a peace about whatever may happen there. So, I'm waiting to see about that first anyway.... 

wow, I'm going to be a mom! 

monday, monday.

I said I would write this morning and now I'm running short on time! I'll write more later... Feeling low motivation today. It's getting hotter out, and I've been neglecting proper exercise and not counting my calories. As a result, I've gained a few pounds over the past few weeks. blah. There is a girl I work with that had never even tried a salad (among other things, I have no idea how her parents let her get away with that!) and she pretty much just eats fried foods and is a skinny little thing! But you know what? I'm glad that I can appreciate a good salad and I'm learning how to take care of and appreciate myself. I never share this kind of stuff with the family really, but it's something that's a big part of my life. I was doing very well for a long time. In general, Ron and I have become more active and we eat a lot healthier than a few years ago... I'd like to get a grip on these things even more so because it helps make for a better life for the rest of my life :) 

have to go get ready for work. This Thursday we start summer camp and I get to go to the zoo!  

trips and things.

Ron and I just got home from a weekend in Dallas, but we didn't have the camera!

We went up for a family wedding (shocked that we could make one of Ron's cousins' weddings, but the bride's from Texas!) and had a wonderful time. A couple of his cousins live up in that area, and we are now determined to get connected with them better. I didn't even realize one of them was still in Dallas. They love the Lord, and it was refreshing to visit with them and all the other family we ran into--people we haven't seen since our wedding! The wedding was beautiful, and even though I hadn't met the bride and barely knew the groom, I could tell the way you just can, that they loved the Lord so much and each other (of course). Those weddings are the best. 

We also stayed the weekend for a little romance of our own. The bed and breakfast we stayed at is owned by the bride's grandparents (quite a coincidence), and was pleasant. We enjoyed a long chat with them on the porch this morning while they fed us the best quiche I've ever had in my life. 

We also took in downtown Dallas, saw some rather historical items in the Dallas Library, including one of the first copies made of the Declaration of Independence. We went to the Dallas Aquarium, which was really fun. It had birds and monkey (including tiny little bitty monkeys, which I loved) and lots of fish/sharks/etc... I wish we had the camera with us to show you the bird that was sitting on the side railing, letting all the visitors pet him. He was a small and exotic little thing, just crooning for attention. I wonder if I'm not a bit like that at times :) sorry Ron, I guess I'm high maintenance to a degree!

I am sorry I don't write on this blog more often, for those of you who want to read about the Goodmans. I don't always have a story to tell, or I just don't make time. I actually will make time to tell you about what God has been doing in our lives. I'll tell you tomorrow morning! I know this will take a bit and my husband is wanting to play checkers with me.

But it is good things. and He is Good. We are being renewed and refreshed. 

Joie, you have also inspired me to be more transparent here. I love seeing the real you, and want all of you reading this to see the real me. A work in progress, and lately... even more and more grateful for a loving God. 

Fun in Buda and Jo in her bus :)

A girl in Buda, TX who loves her dog. I think they came from near and far for the wiener dog races we happened upon when we visited some friends of our from college. It was a good weekend. We also went to Austin and took a long walk around downtown. I love the country now, but it made me miss Milwaukee a little bit. I did love living downtown for a while :)

and there they go!

what would the wiener dog races be without one of these?

For all of you who have been requesting it (and especially for Will). This is Aunt Jo in her bus!

Just to prove it's a good long bus! Yes, I drive that!